Behavioral Activation (BA) is a therapeutic treatment package that is based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis that can be used to disrupt the cycle of depression. This treatment option is based on a principle that as individuals become depressed, they tend to engage in avoidance, isolation, and other ineffective coping skills. That leads to maintaining or worsening the symptoms of depression. In other words, you feel depressed or anxious which leads to not wanting to do anything which makes you more depressed.
With the help of a trained therapist, you will be guided to understand your triggers for depression and the behaviors that you choose when you are depressed and then coached to create a plan that will help you create new behaviors that are more effective. This process is called activation and will help you to systematically stop the depression cycle, as you learn new ways of setting up your environment for success.